Porthtowan (meaning "cove of sand dunes") is a small village in St. Agnes (near Redruth) Parish, Cornwall, England. Porthtowan is on Cornwall's north Atlantic coast about 2 km (1.2 mi) west of St Agnes, 4 km (2.5 mi) north of Redruth, 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Truro and 15 km (9.3 mi) south-west of Newquay. It is a coastal area with good surfing and many former mines some of whose stacks and engine houses dot the landscape.

The Wikipedia article includes descriptions of seven former mines in the vicinity of the village: South Wheal Towan, Tywarnhayle Mine, Tywarnhayle Stannary, Wheal Coates, Wheal Ellen, Wheal Lushington, and Wheal Towan.

Research Tips

One of the many maps available on A Vision of Britain through Time is one from the Ordnance Survey Series of 1900 illustrating the parish boundaries of Cornwall at the turn of the 20th century. This map blows up to show all the parishes and many of the small villages and hamlets.

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